December 30, 2010
No. 9 Bruins edge sixth-ranked Briar Cliff, 66-62
Box Score
SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- The ninth-ranked Bellevue University men's basketball team defeated No. 6 Briar Cliff University, 66-62, Thursday afternoon at the Mustang Basketball Classic in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Bruins have now won 10 of their last 11 games to improve to 12-2 overall, while BCU falls to 13-2.
BU has now avenged its only two losses of the season this week. The Chargers defeated the Bruins 63-60 on Nov. 27 in Bellevue while Morningside College handed the Bruins' their first lost of the season, 92-80, on Nov. 6 in Sioux Falls, S.D. BU defeated MC 88-62 in its first game of the tournament last night (Dec. 29).
The Bruins were paced by Jeremy Cruise, who finished with a team-high 13 points. Also scoring in double figures included Jelani Johnson who finished the game with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists while James Parrott chipped in 10 points off the bench.
With BU holding a one-point advantage, 5-4, the Bruins used a 17-8 run to take a 22-12 lead. The Chargers responded by scoring the next five points to cut the Bruins' lead down to five, 22-17, but that's the closest BCU got in the first half, as BU ended the half by scoring eight of the final 14 points to take a 30-23 halftime lead.
The Bruins shot 44 percent from the field while holding the Chargers to just 34.6 percent shooting in the first half.
The Bruins' strong play continued to begin the second half, opening the frame on a 19-11 run to take a 15-point lead, 49-34. The Chargers answered back with a 27-11 run to take its only lead of the game, 61-60, with 1:55 remaining. But the Bruins knocked down all four of their free-throw attempts in the final two minutes, and a lay-up by Johnson, helped BU escape with the four-point win, 66-62.
BU shot 44.2 percent from the field, including 53.8 percent from three-point range, while limiting the Chargers to just 36.7 percent shooting. BCU outrebounded BU, 44-31.
BCU was led by Brenton Brown, who finished the game with 21 points and four rebounds.
BU will stay on the road and conclude its non-conference portion of the schedule next week when they travel to Point Lookout, Mo. for the McDonald's Cam Jam Classic. The Bruins will open the tournament playing against Cumberland (Tenn.) University on Monday, Jan. 3 at 5:30 p.m. before battling Belhaven University on Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 1:00 p.m.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- The ninth-ranked Bellevue University men's basketball team defeated No. 6 Briar Cliff University, 66-62, Thursday afternoon at the Mustang Basketball Classic in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Bruins have now won 10 of their last 11 games to improve to 12-2 overall, while BCU falls to 13-2.
BU has now avenged its only two losses of the season this week. The Chargers defeated the Bruins 63-60 on Nov. 27 in Bellevue while Morningside College handed the Bruins' their first lost of the season, 92-80, on Nov. 6 in Sioux Falls, S.D. BU defeated MC 88-62 in its first game of the tournament last night (Dec. 29).
The Bruins were paced by Jeremy Cruise, who finished with a team-high 13 points. Also scoring in double figures included Jelani Johnson who finished the game with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists while James Parrott chipped in 10 points off the bench.
With BU holding a one-point advantage, 5-4, the Bruins used a 17-8 run to take a 22-12 lead. The Chargers responded by scoring the next five points to cut the Bruins' lead down to five, 22-17, but that's the closest BCU got in the first half, as BU ended the half by scoring eight of the final 14 points to take a 30-23 halftime lead.
The Bruins shot 44 percent from the field while holding the Chargers to just 34.6 percent shooting in the first half.
The Bruins' strong play continued to begin the second half, opening the frame on a 19-11 run to take a 15-point lead, 49-34. The Chargers answered back with a 27-11 run to take its only lead of the game, 61-60, with 1:55 remaining. But the Bruins knocked down all four of their free-throw attempts in the final two minutes, and a lay-up by Johnson, helped BU escape with the four-point win, 66-62.
BU shot 44.2 percent from the field, including 53.8 percent from three-point range, while limiting the Chargers to just 36.7 percent shooting. BCU outrebounded BU, 44-31.
BCU was led by Brenton Brown, who finished the game with 21 points and four rebounds.
BU will stay on the road and conclude its non-conference portion of the schedule next week when they travel to Point Lookout, Mo. for the McDonald's Cam Jam Classic. The Bruins will open the tournament playing against Cumberland (Tenn.) University on Monday, Jan. 3 at 5:30 p.m. before battling Belhaven University on Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 1:00 p.m.